Targeting Both Primary Contractor and Subcontractor Headquarters
"Strict Investigation of Legal Violations"
Authorities from the labor department and the Korea Coast Guard are conducting raids in connection with an accident that occurred in July, in which two divers died and one was injured while cleaning the underside of a ship docked at the Jinhae port in South Gyeongsang Province.
The Changwon Regional Employment and Labor Office and the Changwon Coast Guard announced on the 17th that they are carrying out searches and seizures targeting HMM (the ship owner) and KCC (the subcontractor responsible for cleaning work) in relation to the accident. Approximately 45 labor inspectors and coast guard officers have been deployed for this operation.
The Changwon Regional Employment and Labor Office and the Changwon Coast Guard plan to secure contract-related documents and computers from the headquarters of both the primary contractor and subcontractor through this search. They will also examine whether appropriate health and safety measures were in place to prevent the divers' fatalities.
The Changwon Regional Employment and Labor Office stated, "We will thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident based on the evidence obtained through this search and seizure." The office added, "We will conduct a rigorous investigation to determine whether there were any violations of the Industrial Safety and Health Act or the Serious Accidents Punishment Act."
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